Australia: Skilled Migrant Visas Will Be Cut 14 Percent

The Australian government is cutting the number of skilled migrant visas it will issue by 18,500, the first reduction in 10 years. According to Immigration Minister Chris Evans, there is mounting pressure to protect jobs made scarce by the global financial crisis. The Australian statistics bureau expects the unemployment rate to reach 7 percent in the year ending June 30, 2010. Evans has also indicated that the government will cut some trades from the list of needed overseas workers.